Accused: bank cameras allegedly show Corey Donaldson during a robbery at the US Bank in Jackson Hole on New Year's Eve. Photo: AP

Mr Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to using intimidation to steal $US140,000 ($135,000) from a bank in the Wyoming ski resort town of Jackson Hole on New Year's Eve.

But during a dramatic, tear-filled day of testimony, the 40-year-old, who grew up in Melbourne's outer suburbs, admitted to committing the robbery and was accused of spending stolen cash on hire cars, hotels and gifts to his family in Victoria.

Mr Donaldson, who is representing himself at the trial, portrayed himself as a Robin Hood. In his opening address, he told how he was disturbed families across America were losing their homes to bank foreclosures and were left on the street. But banks, when they were in trouble during the financial crisis, received bailouts from the US government.

"I felt I was going to do something on my own that would be disobedient," Mr Donaldson said. "I was going to put people first."

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He said he decided he would "confiscate" money from the US Bank branch in Jackson Hole and redistribute it to the poor and homeless in America.

"That's what I did," Mr Donaldson said.

But the prosecutor, Todd Shugart, two FBI officers and the bank branch manager, Jared Williams, who came face-to-face with Donaldson on New Year's Eve, painted a different picture.

Mr Shugart told the jury how Mr Donaldson walked into the bank and warned Mr Williams Mexican drug cartel thugs had planted military grade explosives outside the bank and the building would be blown up if $US2 million was not handed over.

Mr Williams, who shook nervously on the stand and came close to tears, told how Mr Donaldson handed him a note.

"The letter said if I didn't comply with everything I would be hunted down and killed," Mr Williams testified.

The letter said if I didn't comply with everything I would be hunted down and killed.

He had had panic episodes in public since the robbery, he said.

Mr Donaldson attempted to cross-examine Mr Williams about the US Bank, including "the bank's worth in assets".

When Mr Williams said he did not know, Mr Donaldson replied: "It would be around $US352 billion."

Despite Mr Donaldson's claim that his motivation was to help the poor, evidence was given that he did not skimp on hotels.

A receipt was produced showing Mr Donaldson, who used the alias Doobie Zonks, stayed in a $US309-a-night suite in one of Salt Lake City's most expensive hotels, the Grand America, and paid the $US3500 bill in cash.

Utah police officer Adam Hansen testified that when Mr Donaldson, who was being chauffeured around in a hired van, was pulled over and arrested on January 23, police found "a large amount of cash".

Officer Hansen said some was in stamped envelopes addressed to Mr Donaldson's family members in Victoria, including $US10,000 split into $US2000 lots in five envelopes addressed to a Narre Warren post office box.

"I thank you for always being there for me," a note in a letter addressed to Leigh Donaldson allegedly said.

A close friend, Kevin Day, who faced losing his house to foreclosure in Utah, told the court he received a voicemail message from Mr Donaldson on New Year's Eve to look under the mat at his front door.

"What was in the package?" Mr Donaldson asked Mr Day during cross-examination.